A Legacy Passed On from Father to Son

For Ryan Williams, it’s that story of a young man who came home to his roots and a family business that his dad had established and grown since 1985 on the island in KWC Luxury Homes. Ryan had worked in that business throughout his early years, working from the ground up before going off to the University of Notre Dame and receiving his degree in finance.

Upon graduating from Notre Dame, Williams took a position in New York City, working in the world of high finance. However, it wasn’t long until he felt the pull to return to his roots back in Southwest Florida, join with his father, and eventually take over the family business on Marco Island.

He spent from 2001 to 2004 working on Wall Street, but during a visit back home during 2003 at Christmas, Ryan’s dad floated the idea to him about returning home to Marco to help him with the family business and learning more about it. “He explained he had a lot of projects coming up and would love to combine our strengths. I realized that Wall Street wasn’t the path I wanted to pursue, but was happy I experienced it,” said Ryan.

Williams credits his father for teaching him the value of hard work, learning the business from the grunt work up, but understanding his parents wanted him to use his education and knowledge more so than his back to make a living.

Now, almost twenty years later Ryan Williams is the President of Kevin Williams Construction, the company which he proudly points to as the company his father created 38 years ago in 1985.

One of Williams's best friends growing up, Wade Lowe, joined the company after spending over twenty years in the hospitality and fine-dining business before returning home to work with Williams as his trusted right hand. “Wade and I grew up in Southwest Florida, and our friendship stayed strong even after leaving high school and following different tracks in life,” said Williams. “KWC now has a team of talented professionals helping to deliver superb quality and service for our clients.”

When asked what he saw as the foundation of the success and growth of the company, Ryan is quick to point out the need to have strong lines of communication with the trades they partner with. “We have actually created extremely strong relationships with those trades we work with and that in part is based on those lines of communication and outstanding project management,” said Ryan.

When he spoke about the recent roundtable held with the city to discuss any issues, Williams again spoke about the importance of good lines of communication with those city departments. “We have built those strong relationships over the years, and I can reach out when necessary to get answers when they are needed during critical junctures and that is important,” said Ryan.

“The focus today for KWC Homes are those potential clients seeking a luxury product focused on exquisite details and exceptional service with an end result that knocks it out of the park for them,” said Williams. That commitment to innovation and quality was on full display this last September when KWC Homes were awarded no fewer than five awards at the Collier Building Industries Association’s Annual Meeting. Williams is proud to point out that his team took home awards for a recently completed custom home in the following categories.

Best Single-Family Home Design in the $4,000,000-$5,000,000 Category

Best Master Suite Design.

Best Outside Living Area Design

Best Interior Design of the Year at That Price Point

Best Special Feature Design For A Feature Wall and Pocket Door Pocket Door In A Study Which Was Made From Reclaimed Wine Barrel Wood. 

“For me, this was a continuation of the legacy which my dad has passed on, working and learning from him regarding how to do things the right way and create excellent customer relationships from the conceptual design work to the completion of the project and beyond,” Williams said. “One of the things I loved about the business growing up was witnessing the relationships my dad built with our client base. Many of them became special family friends.”

Presently, they have two major homes under construction and had just finished up another earlier in 2023. The two under construction will be finished in 2024, and they will sign on two others early in 2024, as well as selective renovations on homes and condominiums. The focus of KWC Homes is clearly quality over quantity.

Ryan is married and has twin eight-year-old boys attending the same elementary school he did, Tommie Barfield, and he enjoys coaching them in the various athletic leagues on Marco Island.

With any luck, we might someday see the third generation of the Williams family carry on that proud legacy first established by Kevin Williams building the dream home for the son or daughter of one of KWC’s present-day customers someday in the near future.